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Working Long Hours
简体
Working Long Hours
长时间工作

How to Compare Quantity

Date: Apr 25 2012

Themes: Work

Grammar: Comparing Quantity

Intro

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It’s one thing to be a hard worker and always get your work done. It’s another thing to burn the midnight oil every night at your job. Working long hours can take away from your family time, not to mention your enjoyment of life. But some people feel they have to work overtime in order to show that they’re good employees and get ahead in their company. In the US, the standard work week is supposed to be 40 hours, but many people work far more than that. Find out what Jason and Devan think about working long hours.

它会让你成为勤奋的工作者,并且始终会完成工作。它还意味着每天晚上要熬夜工作。长时间工作会占据你与家人相处的时间,更不必说享受生活。但有些人认为,为了证明自己是优秀的雇员,并在公司中获得成功,必须加班加点地工作。在美国,每周标准的工作时间应该是 40 个小时,但很多人的工作时间远高于此。看看詹森和__如何看待长时间工作。

Dialog

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Jason

Jason

Devan

Devan

Jason:  I think there’s this really annoying competition among Americans to work more hours than each other.

Devan:  You think so?

Jason:  Yeah, have you ever noticed that?

Devan:  Yeah, I guess that’s true.

Jason:  People like to brag about working 60, 70, or 80 hours a week or something.

Devan:  Do you think they really work that much?

Jason:  No, probably not. I imagine they may sit at a desk for that much, but I don’t think they’re working the entire time. See, that’s the thing. I’m all about working efficiently for a shorter period of time, you know?

Devan:  So you don’t usually put in a lot of overtime at your job?

Jason:  No. I mean, the time after work is for things other than working. I don’t understand why people think that that’s a good quality to have, if you work 16 hours a day. That sounds like a bad thing to me. Like, that’s what the labor movement worked to stop from happening. So why would you volunteer for that?

Devan:  That’s true. And I think it also depends on if you work for an hourly wage or if you’re on salary. Because I know a lot of companies will take advantage of people that are on a salary and force them to work more hours than they’re actually supposed to, because they get paid the same no matter what. Whereas, on the other hand, there’s also people that are, like you said, sitting at a desk for eight hours a day on a salary and really only working three of them, ‘cause they know they’re gonna get paid the same.

Jason:  Right. Like I think it’s better to go above and beyond with the quality of the work rather than the quantity of it.

Devan:  I understand what you’re saying. But I think I’m too much of a slacker. I kinda like the idea of just sitting at a desk for eight hours and getting paid for that, but not doing very much work.

Jason:  Oh my God.

 

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Discussion

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Jason thinks it’s crazy when people put in really long hours at work. He doesn’t understand why that is not only acceptable in the US, but often encouraged, or even required. He thinks it’s better to produce quality work quickly than to work really long hours just to prove that you’re a hard worker.

Devan points out that workers who are on a salary sometimes get taken advantage of by their companies. Often they get paid the same amount no matter how many hours they work. Some companies will make their employees feel like they have to work long hours, but won’t raise their salaries or pay them overtime for it.

On the other hand, some employees who are paid on salary take advantage of their companies, too. Since they get paid the same no matter what, they might spend eight hours at work, but not actually get much done. Devan admits that she can be a pretty lazy worker sometimes.

How many hours per week do people work in your country? Do you have to work long hours at your job?

 

Comments

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i love life

Palestinian Territory, Occupied

If we want discuss this topic we should focus  about the humanity value to All workers over the world , there are many workers deprived of their rights specially when we want talk about the poor countries , Asia , africa  , south The U.S.


I will talk about my terrible  conditions work I have a horror boss , He’s a silly director we can’t talk with him about any Ideas , All the time He’s nervous and under pressure ,for me I have a lot of friends they work much overtime and they didn’t have 


I will talk about my terrible  conditions work I have a horror boss , He’s a silly director we can’t talk with him about any Ideas , All the time He’s nervous and under pressure ,for me I have a lot of friends they work much overtime and they didn’t have , We should distinguish between ordinary workers and lazy workers , as the same time there are a lot of workers didn’t  like work , they prefer take advantage without any effort , for me some workers deserve  some of them looking for find their comfortable , these days the modern countries become deal with the workers with respect and appreciate thier effort give them what they want , try to achieving  some of their dreams , often try to make them feel they are working in their houses , when you give a worker his right , He will be active .


I disagree with the opinion which says you should work so much In order to achieve your dreams , for me the most thing deserve live is your health .


the health more important then money I mean about myself , I work overtime at my work I didn’t take my assessment as others workers .



Sometimes I feel disappointment at my work , we lack to the justice , I work overtime as the same time I didn’t take my rights , but what should I Can do nothing . 

08:29 AM Apr 26 2012 |

dbs7043nz

South Korea

Humm. How to discuss about it? ok. I am living in South Korea and we are working long hours. I think that it’s better to go above and beyond with the quality of the work. However, actually, most owners or bosses will like to their staff working more time.


 

02:16 AM Apr 26 2012 |

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

you’ve found your own cure! you need to be patient.


But I can guarentee one thing, studying isn’t in any ways jeopardizing your future ambitions, quite the opposite it will help you make better/rational decisions in order for you to meet your goals. I suggest you endure those times, in which you have to take in all those  general studies, you never know what the future holds.


you already strive for knowledge?. I just so happen to know of a place where you can find a variety of knowlegde , it’s called a university/college campus, a place where you can have knowledge tailored around your life ambitions.


Be patient Princesse, I think most of us went through that same situation.Wink

06:45 PM Apr 25 2012 |

La Princesse de la vie

Egypt

Snoopy,I already like to have knowledge, but I don’t like to be obliged to do something or learn about something I don’t like, that’s why I hate studying, but you know?? it just needs patience. I really don’t want to lose my future ambitions..

06:16 PM Apr 25 2012 |

1 person likes this

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

Princesse, when I was younger I thought studying was useless and tedious, but I did it so I could please my older siblings and my guardian, I never understood why everyone was so proud of me, when I came home with a good grade.


But as you grow up, you’ll realize all the perks education can bring, and you’ll find yourself craving for knowledge, you’ll borrow money just to pay for what you used ditch as a child :).

05:43 PM Apr 25 2012 |

La Princesse de la vie

Egypt

I’m a student in high school.. and indeed I have to study overtime, at least from now until my exams. But you know?? I really sometimes feel I’m kinda of slacker and don’t have the desire to study, so I resort to pretend studying by sitting in my disk for hours just to be said that I study. They think I’m getting ahead, but that’s not right. I really feel sad for that.. :[ 

05:36 PM Apr 25 2012 |

kotlesya

kotlesya

Belarus

Exactly! Wink

05:33 PM Apr 25 2012 |

1 person likes this

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

Thanks, Lesya.


I have noticed the more school credentials you have under your belt the less you work, and the more you make. So I’m swaying towards that  route.


;)

05:32 PM Apr 25 2012 |

1 person likes this

kotlesya

kotlesya

Belarus

Snoopyboy,  I feel sorry for you, because you were so overwhelmed with work and study :(


You are poor little boy, very young “green” boy who recently tried to achieve the important goals to make a start in life, who tried to make ends meet. :( Eventually, you went through all circles of the hell. My congratulations!!!!


Your life has only started!!! You are still young little boy with whole life ahead. That’s great!


So I frankly wish you never work so hard like you used to do. Take care of yourself and enjoy the stability you have got now!!!


All my admiration to the people like you are!!!! WELL DONE!!!! Smile


05:01 PM Apr 25 2012 |

1 person likes this

kotlesya

kotlesya

Belarus

Julito, your character reminds me my mother. She always wanted to be independed woman at work. She always wanted to head her own business. She did it at long last!!! She also grateful to God that he helped her to fulfill her dream.


She dislikes the time-shedule, like you are. :)


By the way plumber and gas pipe fitters have a good salary in my country. They determine the prices for their job independently.

04:45 PM Apr 25 2012 |

nop william munandar

Indonesia

Smile


we must make a schedule…......in our dialy activities

04:12 PM Apr 25 2012 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

CRIZ,  forgive me if I am a bit nosey but what line of business  are your family in?

01:55 PM Apr 25 2012 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

LESYA, I couldn´t have made a better choice.  Looking back i am grateful to God  that has always taking care of me, sending  my way  my daily needs  and more. Its not that i am against a paid job ,but in my case being independent gave me  the possibility  to schedule my time  at will and when it was my fancy  to travel  I did it  without second thoughts ,always with my savings  that were  available  from my  job as a plumber and gas pipe fitter.   

01:42 PM Apr 25 2012 |

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

I heard someone say : “if you can’t head home from work by 5 o’ clock every day, the job is probably too big for you’’.


That could be true, from a chief executive, desk jockey perspective, but for many less privileged workers, logging that extra hour is what they need, not because their tasks are too big to handle, but because their regular paychecks aren’t sufficient to make ends meet. Working long hours is by no means a pleasurable thing to do. It can take a toll on your health and physical appearance and can considerably reduce time spent with loved ones.


     At one point, I had to resort to working long hours in order to amount enough funds to put myself in school and afford rent. I was a freelancer on the weekends in addition to my two part time jobs during normal weekdays. Those were the days when I used to fall asleep untying my boots, spit blood whenever I coughed, take a nap on the toilet cover during breaks. Despite the corporal punishment I was putting myself through, I was amounting loads of money and didn’t mind it, I thought “my hard works were paying off quite well”. But one night while on a graveyard shift, I got a major wake up call. Haven’t slept a wink the night before or the day before, with no substantial meals in weeks in my system, it made sense that I felt a little groggy at work, so I  bid to amp myself up by drinking two large cans of energy drinks. I downed them in a matter of seconds, but moments later and according to coworkers accounts I had slumped on the floor right in the middle of a conversation. When I regained consciousness, I felt revitalized and was able to resume with my work like nothing happened. About a couple of months after that event I offered my resignation  on the pretext that I needed to dedicate more time to my studies, when in reality I was still working my other two jobs, still trying to save  a fair amount of money to pay for my classes and cover at least 6  months worth of  my rent. I had reached my goals and the company I was freelancing part time at, hired me full time and I no longer had to work two jobs, and most importantly I no longer had to work long hours just to get by.


Some people deliberately work extra hours just to fatten their paychecks, at one point I was like that. I was mesmerized by how much money I was making that I almost forgot that I was doing it so I could go to school in the first place. I was young and earned more than my mother and it never occurred to me that I was straining myself a little bit too much until I hit the floor that early morning ; ). Now, I’m content with what I have, it’s not much but it’s enough…enough to go on a trip once or twice a year : ), and did I mention it covers my rent and school expenses? Working long hours are behind me now, I don’t go beyond my scheduled hours and I don’t take any work with me home.


My advice to you, don’t overwork unless you really have to. Don’t ever let the sum in your paycheck, subtract on the time you spend with you family and divide you from your social ties. Over time, you’ll realize that working overtime isn’t really worth the trouble.  If you log more than 50 hours at work a week, you might be working too much, but what are the magic words? ... “only if you had to” Wink

heshang

heshang

China

in china ,working long hours is necessary

01:22 PM Apr 25 2012 |

Shiry

Shiry

Saudi Arabia

I think they spend a lot of time in their work , but not all of them .


Good Luck and ALLAH  bless us InshaALLAH =)


Cool

01:18 PM Apr 25 2012 |

Crizsearch

Crizsearch

Indonesia

I will be working s hard after graduate from my school, though I used to work at my family’s store but I think it was just different with when you are working for other people, I didn’t work over time and salary wasn’t a main ponit :D . I wasn’t enjoy doing my daily life sitting at the store and serving customer, heuh…..I wanna have something more challenging , and here I am Cool

01:12 PM Apr 25 2012 |

zouhair1

Morocco

the most Moroccan employees working 12 hours a day.moreover, studies show that Moroccan society suffering of getting overtime during the weekend

01:06 PM Apr 25 2012 |

olasquare

Nigeria

hi

12:29 PM Apr 25 2012 |

kotlesya

kotlesya

Belarus

Julito, do you still enjoy the fly being a free bird? Wink

11:56 AM Apr 25 2012 |

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